Betway Review
What is said about Betway?
Betway are a global heavyweight in the field of online betting, founded in 2006. After over a decade of service to punters, Betway is established as one of the world's most famous bookmakers.
Betway has been very proactive in using sponsorship to gain a foothold in many different sports. Fans of the English Premier League may recognise their branding from West Ham United's kits, while Betway was the primary betting partner of the Davis Cup for a few years.
However, Betway may be most recognisable in a sporting context through their cricketing sponsorships. The bookmaker extended its collaboration with the Mzansi Super League T20 into 2019, while Betway became the official betting partner of Cricket West Indies in 2018.
It is clear that Betway view cricket as one of their most important markets of the past few years, so you can be confident of being able to access a wide range of betting options across the premier cricket competitions.
Betway is about much more than cricket or even sport. While people may sign up to use bonuses on sporting markets, many end up staying for the array of casino games and for the site's intuitive interface.
This is reflected in the site's four-star rating at Trustpilot, produced by averaging the scores of over 10,000 reviews. Many of those reviews compliment Betway's courteous and effective customer service, as well as the strength of their bonuses and mobile app.
What is our experience with Betway?
Betway is like the bookmaking equivalent to Kapil Dev or Ian Botham - it's a great all-rounder. Given the strength of its sponsorships, it is no surprise that Betway excels in the depth and diversity of sports betting markets. From traditional sports like cricket and boxing to virtual eSport competitions, Betway have got anyone who fancies a go at sports betting covered.
Betway have been similarly thorough in the development of their online casino. Every classic casino game can be found on their platform, with the likes of roulette and blackjack available in many variations. Betway's range of slots brings together titles from some of the most popular slot developers, including NetEnt and IGT, but the site also features games exclusive to Betway.
Betway holds its all-important licenses with the UK Gambling Commission and the Malta Gaming Authority, which means that bettors with legal access to this bookmaking platform know they're in safe hands. With customer support available via phone, email and live chat, Betway India seek to ensure that everyone placing a bet through their site feels valued.
The provision of attractive welcome and loyalty bonuses gives punters good reasons both to sign up to the site and to stick around, while the inclusion of an engaging blog is another string to Betway's bow. That blog features lots of exclusive content from legendary cricket analyst Simon Hughes. If 'The Analyst' himself has decided that Betway is the ideal partner for his work then you know that, by signing up, you've made a smart choice, too.
Is Betway a Fraud?
There is a straightforward answer to this one: no! There's no way so many illustrious sporting clubs and competitions would have signed up to partnerships with Betway over the past few years if the site was fraudulent. While a bookmaker's massive global reputation shouldn't mean that you instantly assume a site is trustworthy, it's normally a good indication.
Last year, Betway achieved the ISO 27001 certification from eCOGRA, the international agency that is at the forefront of testing the security and integrity of bookmakers. Not many bookmakers currently boast this certification, which gives Betway greater scope to improve contracts with third parties and to secure new regional licenses. There's no way eCOGRA would give out such certification if Betway weren't completely trustworthy.
eCOGRA also ensure that casino games operate as advertised. This involves testing the random number generators (RNG) that are at the centre of online slots. Part of the charm of a slot is its total randomness - neither the casino nor the player should have an advantage, so eCOGRA check to ensure that the RNG live up to the 'random' part of their name.
Betway also offer every secure payment method that you would hope to find from an iGaming platform. This includes globally-trusted names like Visa, PayPal and Neteller. Not only do users have flexibility in terms of how they deposit and withdraw funds, but they can be certain that their money is travelling through trustworthy channels.
Betway Betting Markets
Betway has an impressive range of betting markets that span all sorts of sports. Like most bookmakers, there are plenty of football and horse racing markets on offer at Betway. However, Betway don't want to be recognised just for being one of the biggest betting sites in India. Badminton, pool and table tennis all have their own sections on the Betway sports page. If you have a sports betting niche, then Betway will probably have the market for you.
Cricket is another area in which Betway India excels. All of the big international competitions have their own markets, including test matches and the T20 World Cup. Betway already offer markets on competitions that won't start for a couple of years, including the 2021/22 Ashes series. This is advantageous for bettors, as it provides plenty of time for punters to get in some early predictions.
Betway also provide markets for national competitions, such as Australia's Big Bash League, the Regional Super50 in the West Indies, and of course the Indian Premier League. Again, punters can already bet on their preferred side to win the IPL next season.
There are also plenty of options for an individual match. This is true in sports like football and tennis, but let's use another example for cricket. For a standard test match, there could be markets for team totals, individual totals, best batsman, best bowler, and even the outcome of the first ball of the match.
Betway Odds
Let's compare odds for the 2020 ICC World Twenty20, which will take place in November. With around a year to go before the event, Betway offered a price of 4.50 for India to lift the trophy behind favourites Australia. This price is roughly in line with what the other major bookmakers offer.
However, the 4.33 for Australia marks Betway out as one of the most competitive sites, with other bookmakers generally providing prices of 4 or even 3.50. This shows how you can rely on Betway to deliver fair prices at worst, and generous odds at best.
Betway Live Betting
There are several sports where punters may be keen to hold off on making their bets until a match has begun. Fortunately, Betway offer an array of live betting options that allow bettors to react to in-play events (or to place a bet that they forgot to make before the match started!). The provision of live betting is particularly important in a sport like cricket, where the weather and pitch can make a mockery of pre-match predictions.
With Betway's live betting options, you can back teams to win outright as the match develops. In-play betting also presents unique options, such as the ability to bet on the number of runs scored in the next over or the method of the next dismissal. The days of being unable to bet on an in-game prediction are long gone, thanks to the live betting options from bookies like Betway.
Betway Casino
In total, the Betway Casino offers over 450 different games, ranging from table games to slots. Betway pride themselves on their state-of-the-art slots, which include releases from NetEnt, Microgaming and IGT. The most innovative slots from the biggest developers can generally be found at several online casinos, but Betway has an ace up its sleeve in the shape of the slots that are exclusive to this platform.
That includes their Nevada Nights slot, which looks to bring the glitz and glamour of Las Vegas to your computer or portable device. Not everyone will experience the unique atmosphere of Las Vegas first-hand, which makes immersive slots like Nevada Nights particularly inviting.
Betway also delivers licensed slots based on some of the biggest television series of the decade, including Game of Thrones and Narcos. They sit alongside original stories, like those in Gonzo's Quest and 108 Heroes. Whether you are looking for an epic adventure, for familiar characters or for a streamlined slot experience, there will be something for you in Betway's extensive slot collection.
Betway are similarly generous in their table games. Blackjack and roulette are a must for an online casino, but Betway provide multiple variations of each to cater for individual gameplay tastes. Atlantic City Blackjack and European Blackjack are there for those wanting to feel transported to a distant destination, while there is also a solo play option for those who want to focus solely on the cards.
Roulette comes in many forms, including American and French. Providing sufficient choice is clearly always at the forefront of the minds of the Betway team, and it shows in their slots and table game selections.
Live Casino
Betway also has an impressive collection of live casino games, for those who prefer their online gaming to come with a stronger human connection. Live casino gaming is a genre that is on the rise in recent years. It uses streaming technology to transmit a game run by a real-life dealer to players from across the world. Playing roulette? You can see the croupier spin the wheel. Playing blackjack? You can see the dealer hand over your cards.
Betway's live casino range comes courtesy of Evolution Gaming and NetEnt. The latter are predominantly known for their slots, but Evolution are the leading name in live casino gaming. Beyond the classic casino games, Betway hosts some of the quirkier Evolution titles. This includes Live Dream Catcher, Live Lightning Dice, and even Deal or No Deal Live. Live games are a great way to strengthen the bond between casino and player, and this is another department in which Betway performs well.
Betway Poker
Betway have dedicated a section of their site to the classic card game of poker, which has everything that an aspiring player will need to get started. There is no download required to enjoy the poker action, as all games can be accessed through the browser. Poker is the most tactical of all the classic casino games, with Betway's stylish graphics bringing the intensity and euphoria of poker straight onto your device.
The most popular variant of poker is Texas Hold 'Em, but there are multiple other classic variations if you prefer or would like to experiment with a different style of poker. Omaha Hi-Low and Seven-Card Stud Poker are just two options which deliver intriguing twists on the classic poker formula, while there are also live poker games for those who enjoy seeing a real-life dealer on their screen.
Betway Bonus Promotions
Our Betway review shows that they know the value of bonus promotions; that's probably how they're still going strong after 13 years of business. Almost every bookmaker serves up an enticing welcome offer to encourage new users to sign up, so Betway naturally go big with their sign-up bonuses. However, there are also plenty of recurring offers to reward loyal customers.
Betway frequently offer money-back promotions. For example, during the MSL, T20 punters could receive their money back as a free bet if the last ball of the match was hit for a boundary. This can make the end of a match particularly interesting, even if your bet has already lost.
Another ongoing way to spice up the cricket season is the 4 To Score game, which is free for Betway India users to enter. Pick the top two batsmen and top two bowlers from two selected matches, and you could potentially walk away with a prize of ₹100000. This kind of game marks Betway out as a bookmaker with a strong focus on cricket and a strong desire to give something back to its loyal users.
Betting Bonus
New users at Betway India can earn an attractive welcome bonus upon registration. Users can see their first deposit matched by a sum of up to ₹2500, with a minimum deposit required of ₹200. You'll have to opt into the offer upon registration and then wager the deposit and bonus 3x at odds of 1.75+. This means that a maximum deposit of ₹2500 will be matched by a bonus to produce an account balance of ₹5000. You'll then have to wager a total of ₹15000 before you can withdraw your bonus in its entirety.
However, Betway have introduced a novel approach to their welcome bonuses. Sometimes, it can be difficult to follow through on the initial wagering requirements. Betway have introduced a Flexi Bonus scheme, which allows the user to forfeit their bonus balance and withdraw their cash balance at any time, which is not something that many bookmakers offer.
Casino Bonus
If you're new to the casino, then Betway also offer a casino welcome bonus. It works in a similar way to the sports bonus, where users can unlock matched funds based on their deposits. However, there is a tiered structure in place for the casino bonus.
- first deposit: 100% matched bonus up to ₹15000
- second deposit: 25% matched bonus up to ₹15000
- third deposit: 50% matched bonus up to $30000
So a user who makes deposits of ₹15000, ₹60000 and ₹60000 can unlock the maximum bonus funds of ₹60000. While some may find it annoying that the deposit threshold increases, the Flexi Bonus option comes into play where users can withdraw from the bonus scheme at any time.
Poker Bonus
Betway India offers a poker bonus of 200% on deposits up to ₹750. For example, a ₹500 bonus unlocks a poker bonus of ₹1000. That 200% rate is very attractive for an online poker site.
Deposit Methods
Betway users are able to deposit into their account directly with Indian rupees, which means that there are no worries about exchange rates when it comes to moving funds around. Payment methods include Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, Neteller and Skrill. Bank transfer is also an option, although it is worth noting that a bank transfer payment could take up to 10 days to process. The other payment methods will go through much quicker, while the use of secure services means that Betway India users can be confident that their money is in good hands.
Betway Live Streaming
Betway currently only offers live streaming in certain regions and unfortunately India is not one of them. That said, this does show that Betway have the functionality to stream live sporting events. We hope that means this service will soon be available for users in India.
Betway App and Mobile User Experience
This is an area of relative weakness for the Betway India site. The app is where Betway is unable to provide Indian users with the level of choice that is present in other areas of the site. Currently, the Betway app is only available in India on iOS, which is bad news for the large numbers of people that use an Android phone.
It's not all doom and gloom: an Android app is in the works and Android users can still navigate the Betway site via their mobile browser, which is easy to use on both computer and phone.
The iOS version of the app shows that Android users have something to look forward to, with over 12000 reviews on the iOS store racking up an average score of 4.7 out of 5. Many users praise the simplicity of use, the way that you can quickly jump from casino games to sports betting on the same app, and the fingerprint recognition log-in feature.
Customer Support
Here is a summary of what Betway has to offer in terms of customer support.
- a Help and Support page which is broken down into handy categories, including Withdrawal Queries and Sports Betting Rules. This makes it easy to check if your question has already been answered. Many of these help pages also include answers in the form of a video, a great visual guide that overcomes any language barriers or technical confusion.
- if the Help and Support page doesn't provide the information you're looking for, then Betway provides a phone number, an email address and a link to the Live Chat team in order to tackle your problem or query.
The Live Chat option is something that helps Betway stand out from some of its competition. A Live Chat function is more convenient than a phone call for many bettors, but it still provides a personal touch not associated with email but essential for a successful bookmaker.
The Help and Support page is where Betway really shines. While FAQ pages are commonplace, you can tell that Betway have spent a lot of time trying to pre-empt as many user questions as possible. The guide is easy to navigate and to read, while the videos take it to the next level. If you do have any queries or problems in your time with Betway, you can be confident that this bookmaker will be quick and thorough in their responses.
Our Conclusion and Rating
Betway stands out as one of the premier sports betting and casino options for Indian players. Its sports markets are comprehensive, with punters even able to bet in-play on small moments in cricket matches from competitions across the world.
The site has everything you could want in an online casino, with multiple variations of blackjack, roulette and poker complementing a vast slots selection. Few sites can master the delivery of a great sports betting service alongside a great casino, but Betway’s smooth interface makes it possible.
With secure payment methods and several customer support options, this is a site that you can trust to deliver an efficient and engaging betting experience. While it may lack an Android app and live streaming options, Betway is impressive in almost every other aspect and appears to be working on those elements.
For those reasons, our Betway review is one of the few to award a site a full 5 stars out of 5.
